Taliban warns US will ‘suffer more’ after Trump cancels talks

September 9, 2019

President Donald Trump’s decision to cancel Afghan peace talks will cost more American lives, the Taliban said on Sunday while the US and his allies have promised to keep up military pressure on the militants, in a stunning reversal of efforts to forge a deal ending nearly 20 years of war in Afghanistan.

The group issued a statement after Trump unexpectedly cancelled secret talks planned for Sunday with the Taliban’s major leaders at the presidential compound in Camp David. He called off the talks on Saturday after the Taliban claimed responsibility for an attack in Kabul last week that killed an American soldier and 11 others.

Zabihullah Mujahid, a Taliban spokesperson, criticised Trump for calling off the dialogue and said US forces have been pounding Afghanistan with attacks at the same time.

“This will lead to more losses to the US,” he said. “Its credibility will be affected, its anti-peace stance will be exposed to the world, losses to lives and assets will increase.”